Getting back to strength

RAIDERS 28, CHARGERS 13 Rushing attack punishes rivals

Published 4:00 am, Monday, December 6, 2010

Photo: Jeff Gross, Getty Images

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SAN DIEGO - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Jason Campbell #8 the Oakland Raiders is congratulated by teammate Khalif Barnes #69 after scoring a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium on December 5, 2010 in San Diego, California. The Raiders defeated the Chargers 28-13. less

SAN DIEGO - DECEMBER 05: Quarterback Jason Campbell #8 the Oakland Raiders is congratulated by teammate Khalif Barnes #69 after scoring a touchdown against the San Diego Chargers during the first quarter at ... more

Photo: Jeff Gross, Getty Images

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SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Wide Receiver Jacoby Ford #12 of the Oakland Raiders catches a touchdown catch in front of Donald Strickland #30 of the San Diego Chargers a during their NFL game at Qualcomm Stadium on December 5, 2010 in San Diego, California. less

SAN DIEGO, CA - DECEMBER 5: Wide Receiver Jacoby Ford #12 of the Oakland Raiders catches a touchdown catch in front of Donald Strickland #30 of the San Diego Chargers a during their NFL game at Qualcomm ... more

Photo: Donald Miralle, Getty Images

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San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner, left, talks with quarterback Philip Rivers during their NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010, in San Diego. The Raiders won, 28-13.

San Diego Chargers head coach Norv Turner, left, talks with quarterback Philip Rivers during their NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010, in San Diego. The Raiders won, 28-13.

Photo: Denis Poroy, AP

Getting back to strength

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After an extensive search the last couple of weeks, the Raiders found what they were looking for Sunday in a shockingly thorough 28-13 beating of the San Diego Chargers. Themselves.

After convincing losses to Pittsburgh and Miami, Oakland coach Tom Cable practically rolled out a big mirror when going over the game plan with the team this week.

"The game plan was just be us," fullback Marcel Reece said after the Raiders ran for 251 yards and allowed only 21 yards rushing. "Just be us. We're a physical, resilient, bloody-nose team. We're back and we're here to stay."

The offensive line got a push early, and Oakland (6-6) used two San Diego turnovers and rode a three-headed running attack to an early 21-3 lead at Qualcomm Stadium. Darren McFadden ran for 97 yards and a touchdown, Michael Bush had 95 yards and a touchdown and quarterback Jason Campbell dusted off some old moves for 37 yards rushing and a touchdown.

This from a team that had lost its way and had only 77 yards rushing the last two games - and got well against a Chargers defense was that ranked No. 1 in the NFL.

"Getting back to our identity," Cable said. "Getting back to what we do best, and that's play hard on defense, battle them in the kicking game and run the football. I can't say enough about the job the offensive line did in terms of staying in drives and getting tough yardage."

The front line of (left to right) Jared Veldheer, Robert Gallery, Samson Satele, Cooper Carlisle and Langston Walker might have pushed the Chargers right out of the playoff race. Though the Chargers are 6-6 and two games back of the Chiefs just like the Raiders, they are essentially a game behind Oakland because they were swept in two games by the Raiders for the first time since 2001.

"We had to get back to who we are, and that's physical and smash-mouth," Gallery said. "We're not going to win games throwing the ball 40 times."

In what was practically a must-win game for both teams, the Raiders ran over some big speed bumps. The Chargers had a four-game winning streak and had beaten them eight straight times here, and were 19-0 in regular-season games after Dec. 1 since Philip Rivers took over the job as quarterback in 2006. And San Diego was ranked No. 1 not only in defense, but in offense as well.

"We had to knuckle up," safety Tyvon Branch said.

The Raiders got the spark they needed to fuel the fire when San Diego's Darren Sproles muffed a punt four minutes into the game. Four plays later, they scored on 4th-and-1 from the Chargers 9 when Campbell did a great job with a fake handoff to Bush and then jogged around the left side into the end zone.

Special teams had killed San Diego in its 35-27 loss in Oakland on Oct. 10, when two blocked punts led to an early 12-0 lead.

Sproles' fumble "gives you the first little push that you need," defensive tackle Tommy Kelly said, "and we just rolled the momentum from there" to a 21-3 lead.

Campbell then had an 11-yard pass to Reece and scrambled for three yards on 4th-and-1 from the 21. With 35 seconds left in the first quarter, Campbell found Jacoby Ford open for a 4-yard touchdown pass - thanks to receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey, who set a nice pick to spring Ford.

Going for it twice on 4th down in the first 11 minutes of the game, Cable was living by the "cut it loose" mantra he has preached to his players so many times.

"If I ask them to do it, I can't sit on my hands and not do it," Cable said. "I thought both times we went for it were important. I trust them and they got it done."

That they did. But where again were these violent, trustworthy players the last two games?

"Don't matter," Reece said. "We found them and that's all that matters."

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